-- James 1:2-4, 12 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
12 Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
-- Psalms 68:3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God;
May they be happy and joyful.
"Count It All Joy"
There are times when we all suffer,
When troubles never seem to end,
All kinds of sneaky problems,
That even Doctors can't mend.
There may be troubles in the family,
Our children fuss and strain,
Parents lose their patience,
And dark clouds roll in again.
Or maybe it's trouble at work,
Sometimes things just don't seem fair,
Someone gets upset and angry,
And we wonder why we're there.
Maybe there's been an accident,
That's taken a loved one's life,
We cry out, "O God, where are You?
Why do we have to live with this strife?"
It could be a financial need,
Your credit isn't that good,
It's always hard to keep up,
When we spend more than we should.
The Bible tells us plainly,
Count it all with joy...
But as we feel life's stinging blows,
Good advice can only annoy.
Spend some time with Jesus,
Follow His advice every day,
Soon our hearts become lighter,
As we bow to Him and pray.
His precious love is awesome,
He will help with everything...
And when we get to know the Savior,
Our hearts can't help but sing.
-- Eva May Young
Happiness depends on happenings,
but true joy depends on Christ. ~ Anonymous
Joy is not the absence of suffering.
It is the presence of God. ~ Schuller
Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life. ~ MacLaren
-- Philippians 4:6-7 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
-- John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
-- 1 peter 1:6-9 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your Faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your Faith, the Salvation of your souls.
-- Romans 8:38-39 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-- Romans 5:1-5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through Faith, we have Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through Whom we have gained access by Faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His Love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
-- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 9 But He said to me, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s Power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
-- Psalms 70:4 But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your Salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
-- Psalms 33:21 In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name.
One of the great blessings of church, for all of its imperfections, is the gift of a genuine laughter - a laughter shared and bequeathed to us by our perfect Father. This is a laughter that we will share in even greater measure when all the sorrow is gone and every tear is wiped from our eyes. One day, like the captives many years ago said, we too will sing: ....... "We are like those who dream. Our mouths are filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. It is said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." Yes, the LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." (Psalm 126:2-3). ~ Ware
Joy is prayer - Joy is strength - Joy is love - Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. "God loves a cheerful giver. The person gives most who gives with joy." (2 Cor.9:7) The best way to show our gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart is the inevitable result of a heart burning with love. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of the Christ risen. ~ M. Teresa
There's nothing more contradictory than an unenthusiastic Christian. The Bible tells us that "God loves us so much, in fact, that God gave His only son so that all who believe in Him will have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "Nothing not even death can separate us from God's love!" (Rom. 8:38-39). If we really believe that, we can't help but overflow with joy! ~ Newhouse
